Secrets
by Ash4
Summary: When Will is in trouble he goes to Sydney for help *chapter 9 added* Review please!
1. The Attack

Title: Secrets  
  
Author: Ash (AshletX512@aol.com)  
  
Rating: PG-13 for some violence and language  
  
Summary: When Will is in trouble he goes to Sydney for help.  
  
Archive: ask me first  
  
Spoilers: just knowledge of what we've seen so far  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, don't sue me, I'm broke.  
  
~  
  
Secrets: The Attack 1/9  
  
~~~  
  
Will Tippin rode down the empty street, watching the trees pass by on either side of the road. It was a nice, crisp night, so he opted to drive with no music and the windows down to absorb the sounds of the outside. Normally he loved the lack of traffic this shortcut provided, but today he decided he would rather drive where there were other cars around. Truthfully, he was a tad paranoid ever since the whole investigation of Danny's death started. He wasn't used to getting anonymous phone calls and finding bugs. That kind of stuff, he thought, only happened in movies.  
  
The turnoff back to the main road approached and Will made the gradual right turn. Though there were no headlights reflected in his rearview mirror, he sensed he was being followed. Will sped his car up and tried to make it back to the main road faster. But he soon realized he wouldn't make it.  
  
His suspicions were confirmed as a car behind him flipped on its brights and sped up too. The car closed the distance between them quickly and was driving in the left lane next to Will within less than a minute. Before he could react, Will found the car drawing nearer to his left side until they collided, sending his Jeep off the road towards the right. In the movies, he remembered, the good guy could always regain control of the vehicle and take out the bad guys in the other car. This was not the movies, however, and Will just stared out the front window in awe as he sped off the road, into the trees.  
  
He slammed on the brakes before he hit anything, but it didn't do much because the Jeep knocked into a fallen tree the wrong way and began to roll to the right. After a 270-degree rotation, the vehicle came to a stop on its left side. Glad that he was wearing his seatbelt, Will lifted his head off what should have been his window, but was now only the ground, and tried to get up. Through this tossing and turning, he had hit his head badly and was bleeding on the right side.  
  
Pulling together all the strength he had, Will unbuckled his seat belt and climbed out the passenger side door. He stood up and looked around for a minute, wondering how close to civilization he was. Before he could even think about what to do next, he received a swift punch to the stomach. 2 seconds later, he was on the ground, feeling the damp mud through his thin shirt. He didn't even get the chance to try to stand up when he felt the force of being kicked in the chest by the unknown assailant, presumably whoever ran him off the road.  
  
Will began to cough up blood and tried to look in the direction that he thought his attacker was, but found his vision was failing him. He wondered where his glasses were. "I don't have much money, but take whatever I have." he croaked to his attackers, pulling his wallet out of his pocket and depositing it on the soft ground next to him. "Please don't kill me." he begged.  
  
"We're not here for your money, Mr. Tippin. And there's no point in killing you. This is a warning. Stop your investigation of SD-6. You'll only hurt yourself." The man said to him. Satisfied that he would not be going anywhere for a while now that the jeep was disabled, the two men retreated to their black sedan parked not 200 feet away.  
  
Will tried to focus on their faces but couldn't see anything without his glasses. He attempted to process what he said. They were with SD-6? Maybe he really didn't want to mess with them. It was hard to think and Will let his mind rest as he faded off into unconsciousness.  
  
~~~  
  
The doorbell woke Sydney up from a deep sleep. She looked over at the clock. 1:13 AM. 'Who could be here this late at night?' She wondered to herself and grabbed a gun out of the drawer of her nightstand as she jumped out of bed and made her way to the door.  
  
The doorbell sounded again right as she was about to answer and Sydney peeked out the window to see who it was. She was relieved at who she saw and unlocked and flung the door open. "Holy shit, Will. What happened to you?" He was wet and dirty and his head was bleeding. "I mean, come in." She set the gun down on the table by the door and pulled him gently inside by the arm.  
  
He followed her in, still a little dazed. "I'm sorry to bother you so late but your apartment was the closest…" he apologized to her.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'll be right back." She told him as she helped him sit on the couch and then ran to the kitchen to get the first aid kit and a wet towel. She hurried back and quickly, proficiently, cleaned and bandaged his head wound.  
  
In a motherly manner, Sydney wrapped a blanket around Will's shoulders. He was shivering and he was wet. "Now tell me what happened."  
  
"I was driving home from work, oh, about 5 hours ago, when I noticed someone was following me. Then the bastards ran me off the road! Then they hit me and…." He told her, then stopping abruptly.  
  
"And what?" Sydney asked.  
  
He realized to tell her this he would have to tell her everything. About Kate Jones/Elouise Kurtz and his investigation of Danny and the bugs and of SD-6… He couldn't do that.  
  
Sydney stared at him curiously. "And what, Will?" She asked tenderly, hoping she didn't sound demanding. Though it seemed like there was no reason to be, she worried if this was related to her. She thought about it and decided there was no way SD-6 could've thought she had told Will. They wouldn't try to kill him like they killed Danny.  
  
Will decided he couldn't tell her. If these people, whoever they were, were willing to come after him, he doubted they would mind hurting the people around him. He couldn't let Sydney get hurt. He loved her too much. But then again, he couldn't lie to her. Will was a terrible liar and she could always catch him. "They…" he avoided eye contact with her and looked to the other side of the room. It was then that he noticed what was on the table by the front door. "Why do you have a gun?" He asked her, glad to change the subject but also curious about the foreign item.  
  
~~~  
  
end 1/?  
  
Author's Notes: This kind of came to me in a dream and I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn't until I got this out of my system. So it's 3:20 AM. I'm usually asleep by 12, so that's my excuse if you think this sucks. ( I thrive on feedback and I can go a lot farther into this story if I get good responses. (Or bad ones. I'm the type of person who will write in a genre just to piss people off. [Like I wrote some Fowley/Mulder fic for the X-Files] So bring on the hate mail Syd/Vaughn people! [Even though this isn't very Syd/Will yet, but it can be *evil grin*]). So if you want to see more of this, I need feedback!!! 


	2. The Questions

Secrets: The Questions 2/9  
  
~~~  
  
  
  
"What?" Sydney asked innocently, hoping he didn't ask what she thought he said.  
  
"That gun." Will motioned to the table with the head. "You had it when you answered the door." He stared at her questioningly, waiting for her answer.  
  
She bit her bottom lip and thought a minute before answering. "I bought it after I found Danny…I was just so scared…" She produced a few meager tears and looked at Will to see if he bought it.  
  
He nodded and put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I should've guessed."  
  
Sydney hung her head so he couldn't see her eyes. She hated lying like this. She even wished Will wasn't so easy to fool with fake tears and the troubled weakling façade. "So who would've done this to you?" She asked him, gently touching his bandaged head.  
  
Again with the question. Will could think of no other way to circle around it, so he figured he would just tell her the truth. He sighed and stood up. He always found it easier to speak candidly while standing. Plus if he was pacing, like he normally did when he was nervous, there would be less eye contact. He couldn't stand to watch her weep over Danny again like he was sure she would when he told her about his investigation.  
  
He began his story. "I lied to you before. I never stopped investigating Danny's death. I found out that he was booked on a flight to Switzerland with a woman named Kate Jones." Sydney tried to show no emotion at the mention of her alias. Will wasn't looking at her anyway. He continued. "But the woman who claimed to be Kate Jones from Danny's med-school class wasn't really. She was hired to say she was Kate Jones and that she and Danny were having an affair. She finally told me the truth but she was scared." He babbled this last part out in one breath, then slowed his speech and looked at Sydney for emphasis. "She was scared for her life, Syd. And I think she was killed. She was murdered because I talked to her."  
  
Sydney noticed Will was now staring at her, waiting for some reaction. But she didn't have to feign the surprise on her face. She figured SD-6 would cover its tracks and produce a reason for the two plane tickets in case someone was to investigate this. But she never would have believed Will would continue this. She knew the SD-6 was behind this, but wanted to see what he knew. Did he even realize at all whom he was messing with? "So the people who hired this woman are the ones who hurt you tonight? Who would do this?" she asked, acting confused.  
  
"I didn't finish." he told her. "I later found a bug in this woman's car. I didn't think that much of it until I got this strange phone call, proving that it was live and that someone was listening to everything I was saying." Will found it easy to look at Sydney when he realized she wasn't crying. "To make things short, I found out something called the SD-6 was involved, but I know nothing about them. I do, however, have every indication that they are involved."  
  
'Shit.' Sydney thought. Now Will knew. Of course he didn't know what they were or that she was involved, but she knew that the SD-6 didn't care. They could kill Will just as easily as they murdered Danny. It didn't matter what he knew, he knew something. Sydney found herself fighting back true tears as she spoke to him. "Will, you really have to stop this. I've lost Danny…" she paused, "to as you say these people. I can't lose anyone else." She couldn't hold back any longer and broke down into sobs.  
  
Will sat down next to her again and pulled her into his arms. "It's ok." He said "I'm not going to pursue this anymore." He wasn't entirely sure that was true. As a reporter, he would always have questions and he doubted his boss would just let him drop the story without knowing everything that happened. And he didn't want to tell her he was running around like a spy getting strange anonymous phone calls and was almost killed.  
  
Sydney felt sick to her stomach realizing her sweet Will had gotten wrapped up with the SD-6 and that they had almost killed him. He was such a great friend, she could just go to him for comfort without telling him anything. It was great to have a person like that in her life. She looked up at him to see confusion in his eyes. He was probably still wondering all about SD- 6 and why they needed to keep their secrets so well. She wished she could tell him, warn him about how bad they really were, but she could never do that. Sydney had learned her lesson already.  
  
He had only come to her for comfort, to hear her say that everything would be alright and that the bad people wouldn't hurt him anymore. But now, Will was comforting Sydney, telling her exactly what he wanted to hear.  
  
Sydney had stopped crying, but her mind was still racing. She thought about what her life would be like if she didn't have her friends to comfort her, to help her escape from the reality of her job. She needed people to laugh with and do things that made her forget she put her life in danger everyday. "I love you Will. You can't get yourself killed over something that happened in the past. Don't worry about what happened to Danny. I've accepted it. Just try your hardest to stay alive so you can be here with me."  
  
Will nodded, understanding completely. Sydney didn't need to worry about losing another friend. "I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."  
  
As if on cue, they could both hear a car pulling up in Sydney's driveway. It was barely 3 AM so Sydney ruled out any possibility that it could be a friend stopping by. She jumped up, grabbed her gun off the table and ran back to Will. She pulled him to the ground between the coffee table and the couch and laid down next to him in one swift movement. Who was here? She was certain her father had told her that her house was clean of bugs. Had someone been listening?  
  
To answer her question, bullets pierced through the window, shattering the glass over the living room. Will started to say something but she clamped his mouth shut with her hand. More bullets sprayed through the back window. She realized her pistol wouldn't do much good against multiple shooters. She couldn't take them out and try to protect Will at the same time.  
  
They were pounding at the door now. Her house was pretty dark, and they had no idea where she was so it made sense that whoever was outside would want to see in and make sure they were dead. "Do you know how to use a gun?" Sydney whispered to Will. He nodded and took it from her as she offered. "Shoot for the head. We know they're coming, but they don't know where you are, so you should be able to surprise them." With that, Sydney crawled away from him towards the back door. She could probably take these guys out if Will covered the front.  
  
Sydney also had surprise working on her side, so when someone burst through the back door, she quickly knocked the gun out of his hand. Fighting was much easier when one of the contenders didn't have a weapon. He was caught off-guard by her surprise attack and fell backwards through the door as she gave him a flying kick to the face. She was startled as she heard gunshots in the living room then a man's scream and wasn't ready for the punch in the stomach she received as her assailant got up. She flew backwards but was able to grab his gun as she landed, training it on his chest. She really looked at the man for the first time and realized he was someone she met while in training years ago. His eyes were cold and showed no remembrance of her, yet she could not shoot him. She kept thinking of the nice young man who had taken her out for coffee one night. Peter, she thought his name was.  
  
Sensing that she seemed weaker, he lunged at her to gain control of the weapon, but she shot him in the thigh. "Leave me alone." she told him and he hobbled off in defeat. A few seconds later, she heard the car pull out of her driveway. She sat on the steps to her back door for a minute, contemplating what just happened. She couldn't help wondering about Peter. Did he know what she knew about the SD-6? Sydney wondered what he was briefed about this mission, was she presented as an enemy of the SD-6 that needed to be terminated? Before she could divulge more into this train of thought, she heard her name called. Will.  
  
She sprinted back into the house to find him right where she left him, except his shirt was covered in blood. "What happened?"  
  
"I shot him, but I only hit his shoulder. He shot me in the arm." Will pointed at which one was hurt, and winced as Sydney touched it gently to assess the damage. "He left when the other guy came from around the back."  
  
Sydney had already retrieved the first aid kit and was taking off Will's shirt as he spoke. "The bullet must have only winged you. You'll be fine. But now I'm really going to have to restock my medical supplies." She said, smiling weakly at him. She cleaned the wound with antiseptic and bandaged it with gauze.  
  
He grabbed her arm and looked into her eyes. "Sydney, that's not it." He waited until she returned his eye contact. "The man who came here, he asked where you were. They weren't here for me. They were looking for you. He asked for 'Agent Bristow.' What was this really about?"  
  
~~~  
  
End 2/?  
  
~~~  
  
Author's Notes: Thanks for all the reviews!!! Feedback is the best. I rushed to complete this chapter before "The Box I" aired because this really would follow what we know up until now, and I didn't want to be writing something different after we learn something new on the show.  
  
At this point I still don't know exactly where I want to go with this. I just go with the flow and write what comes to be at the time. Considering this, I need the motivation to sit down and put time into pondering where I should go next, and that's where you come in. So hit that little Review button and tell me what you think. ( 


	3. The Surprise

Secrets: The Surprise 3/9  
  
~~  
  
"Agent Bristow?" She gulped hard and hoped he didn't notice that she was quickly searching for a good answer. "I don't know what to tell you, Will. It may have to do with my work…I'm sometimes called an 'agent of the bank,' but I can't figure out why anyone would come after me with weapons…"  
  
"I'm worried, Syd. He seemed professional. This is the second time for me tonight…the second time in my life." Sydney wrinkled her brow in disgust. This is exactly what she hoped would never happen. Exactly why she wanted to take down SD-6. Will suddenly looked confused, remembering something. "I heard gun shots. You're not hurt. How?"  
  
Sydney placed a finger gently over his lips. His words were short and articulated. He was obviously in a lot of pain. "I took a self defense class…I guess it paid off." She told him, knowing that question would have come eventually. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was not satisfied with the answer.  
  
He opened his mouth to ask another question but she stopped him. "Don't talk. You're hurt. You need to rest. I'll take care of you." Still on the floor by the couch, Sydney pulled Will closer to her and just sat with her arms around him quietly. He needed medical attention but for some reason she felt it would be the wrong thing to do.  
  
Before Sydney could even think about doing anything else, she watched as a gas bomb soared through the already-broken front window. She knew she should get up and run, but Will had fallen asleep on her lap. She only watched as the gas filled the room and it became harder and harder to keep her eyes open. She watched as three men in suits and gas masks came in and dragged Will off her lap. She was powerless to stop them and slumped down onto the floor as she passed out.  
  
~~  
  
Sydney jumped out of her bed in the morning and wondered if what she remembered from last night was all a dream. She stumbled out of her bedroom to find that the living room was just as it should be, no broken window, no bullet holes in the wall, none of Will's blood on the carpet. What a weird dream. She stretched as she made her way into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee, and jumped at who she saw sitting there.  
  
"Dad?" She watched as he stood up from his place at the kitchen table and put down the newspaper he was reading. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Get dressed. It wasn't a dream. SD-6 had to do some clean up last night after your friend's mistake. They brought him in to find out what he knows." Sydney just stared at his, trying to process what he just said. "Let's go." He reminded her with urgency and watched as she went back to her room to change.  
  
Sydney threw on the first black suit she saw and ran a comb through her hair. She was ready in less than five minutes and was met by her father with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Here. You look like you need caffeine." She accepted it reluctantly and followed him to his car.  
  
They drove the whole way silently. When at SD-6, Jack led Sydney down to a lower part of the building, accessed only with his special clearance. He opened a door for her and she entered to see through a two-way mirror to a room where Will sat alone in a single chair.  
  
"If he tells us everything he knows he won't be hurt. We just want to make sure he will no longer be a risk. I convinced Sloane to let you be here. He realizes you did not leak the information this time and at this point believes that he will not have to be a security risk. We think you should hear exactly what he knows." Sydney knew her father was trying to be comforting, but wanted to vomit at the thought that SD-6 had Will and what they might do to him if for some reason he decided not to talk. She didn't want to watch him be tortured if this was the case.  
  
Sydney didn't have to wait long and wonder, for as soon as she and her father were settled in the two empty chairs in the witness room, the SD-6 agent in the room with them flipped on a switch to the recorder and began speaking into a microphone slowly.  
  
~~~~  
  
end 3/?  
  
A/N: Sorry to stop here, but I can't possibly write any more at this time and I really wanted to post something for this weekend. I should have another short part by mid-week and be posting a different fic that I finished but needs to be beta-ed. Watch for updates!  
  
And as always, reviews make me write faster!! 


	4. The Interview

Secrets: The Interview 4/9  
  
~~  
  
"State your name and occupation." The solemn, mechanical voice echoed through the practically empty room through the speakers above the large mirror. Will knew there was more than just a wall behind the pane of glass.  
  
"Will Tippin. I'm a journalist." There was a machine hooked up to his arm, a lie detector. He knew they were establishing a base line.  
  
"And what story were you working on?" They were cutting right on to the chase.  
  
He may have been able to lie to Sydney, but whoever was behind the mirror was not playing around. This was serious. "I was investigating the death of Daniel Hecht. I believed something about it was not right and I wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery."  
  
"What made you so interested in this case?"  
  
"The victim was the fiancé of my best friend, Sydney Bristow. I wanted to find out for her sake."  
  
"Did she ask you to do this?"  
  
Will stared at his shoes. She never had. She even told him not to and he went against her plea. And look where that got him. He couldn't help wondering about Sydney. For all he knew, she could be in a similar room, in a similar situation. He had never wanted to hurt her, and now they were both in what seemed to be big trouble.  
  
He didn't realize he had drifted off into a daze until he heard the voice again. "I repeat, Did she…"  
  
"No." Will said, cutting off the end of question.  
  
The questions went on, asking about his story developments, the strange phone calls, what he exactly knew about SD-6. It vaguely seemed that the voice knew the answer to all the questions it was asking, but only wanted to hear what he knew. Will answered everything completely truthfully, afraid that if he didn't they would hurt him, or even worse, Sydney.  
  
When he had finished recalling the events of the last few weeks of his life, the extended version of what he told Sydney, Will was surprised to hear the voice utter something completely different than the normal questions. "You were mistaken. There is no SD-6, no Kate Jones, no Elouise Kurtz. You will not print a story. You will never speak of this again. Understood?"  
  
Will had already understood when his car was run off the road. He understood more clearly when they were attacked at Sydney's house. The answer to this question was a no-brainer. If asking questions like this almost got him killed on more than one occasion, he could easily keep his mouth closed.  
  
"Yes."  
  
When the word came out of his mouth, though, it felt like he was giving up. Whoever this was that cared so much about keeping their secret, they had Elouise Kurtz killed and put David McNeil in jail. How many others would suffer? Could he possibly stop this?  
  
Sydney's face appeared in the mirror, first crying when he originally told her he was looking into Danny's murder, then transformed into the equally pained expression of caring that he saw as she treated his wounds earlier. He had to stop. If not for his own sake then for hers. She couldn't bear to lose another loved one. He couldn't help but to wonder where she was now…  
  
~~~  
  
Sydney stared through the glass into Will's blue eyes. He was focused on something, deep in thought. "Penny for your thoughts?" She wanted to ask him, almost smiling at that. She couldn't remember when or where that had started, but she could always remember Will using that phrase and producing the shiny copper coin whenever he noticed she was worried. Sydney remembered clearly the day she was first approached by SD-6, leaving her stunned and confused at the picnic tables on campus. Will had asked her that then, noticing that she was that perplexed over a homework problem when he arrived with a snack. She thought about how many pennies of their joke were lies over the recent years.  
  
"Agent Bristow," she broke out of the memory at the sound of the unknown SD- 6 agent's voice. "is there anything else you need to ask, since we have him here?"  
  
She shook her head, not wanting to prolong the situation she hoped she would never have to be in again. She realized that it was just her and the agent in the room now, wondering when her father had left. Then again, she was so engrossed in hearing Will's story that a plane could have crashed across the street and she would still focus all her attention on what her best friend was saying.  
  
"Then I think we're through here." The agent said, motioning to his paper. There were about 50 questions and many notes on it. All of the questions had neat, professional checks next to them.  
  
"What's going to happen now?" She asked, knowing half of the answer, but wanting to hear what he said anyway.  
  
"This tape will be taken and analyzed by Sloane and a few psychologists, but it's probable that your friend will be deemed a non-threat and will be released shortly." They were trying to make this into the humane SD-6 everyone wanted her to believe it was. Too bad she now knew the truth, ignorance was bliss.  
  
"Would you mind if I took it up to him myself? I feel I should explain a few things." Sydney asked him, not smiling and acting completely professional. She knew she would be questioned in the near future, so SD-6 could make completely sure that Will's investigation was truly his and he was not working because Sydney told him to. SD-6 should believe that Sydney had learned her lesson with Danny, but if they suspected her as the mole…then a reporter looking for incriminating evidence on the company she was working against did not look good.  
  
"Go ahead, it saves me the walk." She nodded a thank you and took the papers as she left. In the elevator Sydney scanned through the file at the notes the agent took during the interview. She could see that he was interested in the same thing she was. Who was making the anonymous phone calls to Will? He had passed the polygraph perfectly, showing he was too afraid to lie. This looked good to SD-6, that they had accomplished what they had set out to do with the numerous attempts on his life. As far as SD-6 could tell, this poor reporter would think twice before putting the 19th and the 4th letter of the alphabet together again.  
  
Sydney had stepped out of the elevator and was walking past her desk to Sloane's office when the whole floor went dark. 'Not again.' She thought as she heard footsteps running out of the elevator. What could be going on, though? It couldn't be SD-6, she was already here…  
  
Before Sydney could even think about what could possible be happening a hand was clamped over her mouth and she was dragged backward into the elevator. Once the doors had closed and the elevator started rising, the hand that held Sydney in place released her. She turned around to face the familiar figure. Even in the dark she knew who it was.  
  
He didn't let her ask him any questions. "Quiet. I'll explain when we're out of here." he whispered.  
  
~~~~  
  
end 4/?  
  
A/N: I actually know where I'm going with this chapter, and I'll probably finish the next chapter today or tomorrow, but I wanted to post this now. Hope I left you in suspense. :)  
  
As always, I love reading reviews. 


	5. The Lie

Secrets: The Lie 5/9  
  
(A/N: It took 5 chapters, but upon popular demand, here's something that many of my reviewers wanted.)  
  
~~  
  
Sydney just stared at her father, searching for a sign of…anything in his face. She couldn't wait for an explanation.  
  
The elevator stopped at the parking garage level and when they got out, Sydney noticed the small black cloth covering the security camera. Jack noticed what she was looking at and assured her "We were careful. It appeared to be a simple blackout to the upper levels."  
  
"And to the lower half?" She asked, knowing that he wouldn't have added the last part if there wasn't a difference.  
  
By this point, Jack had led her to a plain white van. "You'll see." He told her, opening the side door to the van and motioning for her to step inside. Once she was seated on the vinyl bench, Jack closed the door and sat in the front passenger seat.  
  
She was still waiting for him to explain and didn't even notice that she was not alone in the back of the van. The man in the seat behind her, too wrapped up in whatever he was doing, didn't acknowledge her presence at first either. It wasn't until the van was well on its way away from SD-6 that he looked up at her and spoke.  
  
"Agent Bristow, I've heard a lot about you." He smiled. "I'd shake your hand, but…" He held up his hands to reveal that they were gloved and covered with blood.  
  
Sydney peeked over the back of her seat and saw the motionless figure of her best friend. "Is he going to be alright?" She asked the man, figuring he was a medic. She noticed that there was more blood on him than when she treated him before.  
  
"Your friend will be fine. I just rebandaged the wound, but it opened up again. He'll get more treatment soon. All things considered, he's great."  
  
Jack piped in from the front seat. "We thought it best to keep him sedated until we arrive at the CIA safehouse."  
  
"But what about…?" Sydney had so many questions, but Jack cut her off suddenly.  
  
"We will discuss this when we arrive." She shut up at that. The driver and the medic probably didn't know much about this case, and would most likely never know all the details. Matters dealing with SD-6 were on a need-to-know basis only.  
  
The medic had cleaned up his area, taken off his gloves, sanitized his hands, and was now climbing forward into Sydney's seat. She looked back at Will, silently asking him "How did you get involved with all this?" The medic, noticing her gaze, motioned to where he was previously sitting and told her "Go ahead. I won't be offended if you would rather sit with him."  
  
Sydney smiled a silent thank you and crawled back to where Will was stretched out. She sat with him and stroked his golden hair until she fell asleep to the slow hum of the van's engine.  
  
~~  
  
She didn't wake up until she heard Will coughing hours later. She sat up suddenly and realized they were no longer in the van, but in a sparse hospital-like room with a bed, in which Will had been sleeping, and a couch, on which she had obviously been moved to. She jumped up and grabbed the glass of water by Will's bedside, giving it to him like a concerned mother.  
  
"Syd!" He choked out, obviously just waking up himself. "What happened? Are you ok?"  
  
'Sweet Will, always unselfish.' Sydney thought. "I'm fine. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Honestly? Like I was hit by a truck." He said, examining the cast on his arm then gently touching the bandage across his forehead. "Where are we?"  
  
Sydney's head throbbed and she struggled to think up an explanation through the shooting pain. Before she had thought to hard, the door behind her swung open and someone entered.  
  
"Oh, you're awake!" he said, as if he didn't see the small scene play out over the video camera in the next room. "I'm Dr. Vaughn" he said, dressed in a white lab coat and holding a brown clipboard. Very professional. Sydney would have believed the costume if she didn't know any better. "You're at Brookside Medical Center. The local hospital was full so they started sending patients here. From what Miss Bristow told the police, you got caught it the crossfire at a break-in at her apartment where some work files were taken from her home. Isn't that right, Miss Bristow?"  
  
Sydney nodded, figuring that this story was acceptable. Will searched Sydney's face and when she looked away from the doctor and at him. She smiled at him waiting for him to accept the story, but he was incredulous. "I didn't see them with any files…and what about the interview with the polygraph and the two-way mirror?"  
  
Vaughn quickly winked at Sydney and she quickly got the message. Time for another lie. "Interview?" She asked Will.  
  
"Of course with a head injury you can expect him to have some strange dreams." Vaughn told Sydney, deliberately pretending the patient wasn't in the room as doctors often did. "Mr. Tippin, you've been in bed all day. And you've suffered a bad head injury…"  
  
Will nodded, though he was not satisfied with the answer. He would not accept that what happened to him, what seemed so real, was only a dream. He looked over at Sydney. She was being unusually quiet, her attention focused on the doctor. It seemed to Will that they were having a silent conversation with their eyes, one that he was not allowed into. Sydney's eyes flicked over to the door then back to meet the green ones of the doctor. Will watched this silent conversation and wasn't surprised when Dr. Vaughn told Sydney, while tapping his wristwatch with his finger, yet never looking at it, "Visiting hours are over, Miss Bristow."  
  
Sydney nodded and waved a feeble goodbye to Will. "When will I be released?" He asked 'Dr. Vaughn' not meeting Sydney's eye. She suddenly seemed different. Will would have to talk to her about it later.  
  
"We want to keep you here for…observation for the next few days. That head injury is pretty bad."  
  
Will didn't trust the doctor and wanted to ask him more questions, but Vaughn and Sydney were already headed out the door.  
  
~  
  
"He doesn't like me." Vaughn observed to Sydney as soon as he shut the door behind him.  
  
Sydney sighed. "Will just doesn't trust you. He's a journalist, he's born to ask questions and he knows your lying to him. You may have the look of a doctor down, but you sure don't sound like one." She started to remember Danny to explain to Vaughn how to act, but had more pressing matters.  
  
Vaughn led Sydney into a small conference room with a round table and ten chairs and sat down in one of them. Sydney plopped down in another and let her head rest on one of her hands. Rubbing her throbbing temples, she asked "Why are we here? Everything was under control at SD-6."  
  
"It wasn't." Jack chimed in, entering the room behind Sydney. He dropped a small bottle of aspirin in front of her and sat in an empty chair. "Sloane was watching via a video line. He believes Will knew who contracted him and is protecting his source."  
  
Sydney rolled her eyes as she swallowed two pills. "He doesn't. He passed the polygraph with flying colors. Sloane has no reason to think…"  
  
"But he does. He sent me to beat the information out of him and if he didn't provide the name, to…terminate him." Sydney got quiet. She never thought it had gotten that serious. She couldn't fathom the thought of her father killing her best friend.  
  
Vaughn joined the conversation. "Your father came to us at the CIA. Will can be put in the Witness Protection Program. He will be safe from SD-6." He said matter-of-factly.  
  
"He'll never agree. And he deserves a normal life just as much as I do. There has to be another way." Sydney folded her arms across her chest as a form of putting her foot down in the matter.  
  
"There isn't. You were lucky today, Sydney. What if your boss had sent someone besides your father to do his dirty work? You have to drop this whole desire you have for a normal life. You're a spy, Sydney. You have a dangerous life, but mission upon mission, you're helping make the world a better place. This is the only plan that can be done if you do not want there to be another grave in the cemetery to mourn at!" Vaughn didn't mean to yell and regretted his outburst as soon as he saw the look on Sydney's face. She kept control, but looked as if she were half way between wanting to cry and wanting to punch her handler. Vaughn's face showed he was sorry, but before he could voice his apology the door burst open.  
  
"What the hell is going on?!" The patient of whom they were speaking about demanded.  
  
~~~  
  
end 5/?  
  
A/N: I wrote a large chunk of this while on a plane, so if anything is incoherent, that's my excuse. And I typed this up while my cat, bored with everything, tried to destroy my computer space just to annoy me. I hope this isn't too disjointed, since I ended up writing this with an omniscient POV versus 3rd person limited from different perspectives, so I'm sorry if this was confusing. I'm still not completely sure where I'm going with this, and with five chapters this is probably the longest thing I've ever written, so I don't know how much longer this will be. Reviews are always nice!! 


	6. The Confrontation

Secrets: The Confrontation 6/9  
  
~~  
  
Sydney whipped around in her chair to face her long time best friend. In her shock, she remembered to play it cool. "Will? What are you doing out of bed? You should really go back and get some rest..."  
  
Will frowned. "Cut the bullshit, Sydney. I know I'm not in a hospital."  
  
"What did you hear?" She asked with a sigh.  
  
"Everything...enough...How long have you been lying to me, to Francie, to everyone?" His voice was rising, highly accusatory.  
  
Sydney returned her gaze to Vaughn, who lowered his eyes to the stack of papers on the table. He spoke quietly "He already knows something, you might as well explain it all. This could actually help us."  
  
Sydney nodded and turned back to face Will. "Come sit down. I'll tell you the truth." It was amazing that Will, currently looking so pitiful in bandages and a hospital gown, could figure them out and pose such a threat to Sydney's secret.  
  
"OK" she said when he was seated, taking note that Will did not sit next to her, but rather on the other side of the table. "I'm going to explain everything, and you can't ask questions until the end." He nodded. "I'll start with the introductions. This is Agent Vaughn. He's with the CIA. And you know my father." Sydney took Will's death glare at her father into consideration. "My father and I, we're spies, double agents. We work for both the CIA and something called SD-6."  
  
Obviously forgetting the 'no question' rule, Will pointed out "You work for Credit Dauphine…the bank."  
  
"That's a cover-up. All employees of SD-6 appear on books that they work for the bank. I was recruited by SD-6 right out of college, 7 years ago. I was told it was a secret part of the CIA. I go on 'trips' about once a week to foreign countries to supposedly stop evil leaders from destroying the United States. I was not allowed to tell anyone, I had to keep my life a secret."  
  
"You told Danny." Will was more perceptive than he looked sometimes.  
  
"Yes. And SD-6 had him killed. But I'm not going to let that happen to you." Sydney looked only at Will. She reached as far across the table as she could and grabbed his hand. "I'm not finished. I didn't know my dad worked at SD-6, but when he heard Danny would be killed, he tried to arrange it so we could get out of town. That's the reason for the plane tickets. He told me the SD-6 wasn't with the CIA, that it was against it. We've been working with the CIA to take down the SD-6. I want to end this double life forever."  
  
"You could've told me this, Syd. You didn't have to lie." He said it almost automatically, not thinking about what Sydney had just told him.  
  
She corrected him. "I couldn't! There were so many times I wanted to! But I just keep thinking about Danny…of what happened to him." Sydney dropped Will's hand and stood up. She started pacing around the room as she continued. "Why, Will? Why did you have to keep investigating SD-6? They're so bad. And now they want to kill you…"  
  
Vaughn could see that Sydney was growing increasingly upset. "We think that placing you in a Witness Protection Program will be the best for you, Mr. Tippin."  
  
"And who are you to decide my future for me?" Will shot back at Vaughn.  
  
"Don't snap at him, Will. Agent Vaughn is only trying to help. If it wasn't for the CIA, you might be dead right now." Sydney was now leaning against the wall in the corner. She was visibly calmer now.  
  
"I understand that," Will said honestly, "but I think I should have some say in what my future will hold."  
  
Vaughn nodded. "That's perfectly reasonable. SD-6 is going to need to find someone to blame for taking you out of their facility. We can't just send you home. Who's to say there won't be another attempt on your life?"  
  
Will thought for a moment. "I could help you. Whoever has been contacting me wants to take down SD-6 too. I could write a story and expose the whole deal with whatever information you have…"  
  
"It doesn't work that way. This isn't a story about a corrupt politician that can be dissolved that easily. SD-6 is worldwide. They'll just as easily kill you if that story even reaches the editor. Besides, I don't wish my life on anyone, Will. I don't want you to have to lie every day like I do." Sydney told him.  
  
"Actually, Sydney, whoever has been contacting Will probably wants to take down SD-6 just as much as we do. If Will can keep contact with his source, then he can really help." Even with Vaughn's apparent approval of Will joining their team, Sydney was still dissatisfied.  
  
Sydney rubbed her tired eyes with her hands and mumbled "It's still dangerous…"  
  
"From what I've heard, I'm already in danger. I might as well help." Will reminded her.  
  
Feeling outnumbered, she just shrugged. "But how are you contacted?"  
  
As if to answer her question, a cell phone rang. Those in clothes each reached in their respective pockets to find the source of the noise and Will sat still, knowing his phone was not magically tucked away in a secret pocket of his hospital gown. He was suddenly aware that he was half naked though.  
  
Sydney was the lucky one. "Hello?" She asked, upon turning on the small Nokia. She had noticed that the ID displayed no number and remembered that this was her personal line.  
  
"Put Will Tippin on." Demanded an obvious voice scrambler.  
  
She complied, handing over the phone. Sydney couldn't help but wonder if they were being bugged. But it was a CIA safe house, wasn't it? Vaughn raised an eyebrow at her questioningly and she nodded. In a flash he was gone, running out of the room quickly.  
  
"Will Tippin." The patient told the caller as he accepted the phone.  
  
"Your phone is turned off." The caller told him.  
  
"I've had some…difficulties the past few days, but I am still ready to do as you say." Will said, showing that he would fully cooperate.  
  
Vaughn rushed back in, as silently as he had left and was now plugging a small cord into the bottom of the cell phone. It was connected to what looked like a simple PDA system.  
  
"That's all I needed to know." Then the voice was gone, seeming more like it was a mother checking in with her daughter than a secret informant.  
  
Will hung up the phone and sighed. "Well that sure was useless."  
  
"Not entirely." Vaughn interjected, still studying the handheld computer. "Yes!" He said in a small voice to himself as his eyes lit up at what he saw.  
  
"Care to enlighten us on your discovery?" Sydney asked him, mentally laughing at Vaughn's boyish excitement over his new toy.  
  
"I just found the location of our mystery caller. This is an advanced version of the Caller ID pizza delivery companies use to fully locate the source of the call. Except this one is 100 times faster and cannot be blocked."  
  
"Very Marshallian." Sydney added, prompting a smile from her handler and her otherwise stoic father and a confused glance from Will.  
  
"512 Hopkins Rd., right here in town." Vaughn added, revealing the actual address.  
  
"It can't be." Will said.  
  
"Why not?" Jack asked, speaking up for the first time in a long time.  
  
"Because I know who lives there…"  
  
~~~  
  
end 6/?  
  
Who is our Mystery informant? I know, but I wanted to end this chapter (like all the others) with a little suspense. At first, I really had no idea where to go with this, but I combined this with another idea I had. I think it will work nicely. Though I might finish the next chapter soon, I won't post it until I get a few reviews. (hint hint) 


	7. The Answer

Secrets: The Answer 7/9  
  
A/N: Just a reminder, this is most definitely pre-Page 47.  
  
~~  
  
"Because I know who lives there…"  
  
"Who is it?" Sydney demanded at Will, but he wasn't paying any attention. He was already scrambling out of the conference room and heading back to his makeshift hospital room. She followed. "Will?" But he showed no sign of acknowledging her presence behind him, obviously deep in thought.  
  
He opened up the drawers of the small closet until he found his clothes from the previous day, dried blood staining the blue shirt and khaki slacks in brown splotches. Will grabbed his only possessions and took the articles into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.  
  
Sydney sunk down onto the bed. She had expected this reaction. The Will in the other room was too calm and collected, too mature. She could hear him muttering to himself quickly as he dressed, sorting out the many thoughts that were probably running through his head. She longed to know those thoughts. This was the crazy, frazzled Will she'd come to love.  
  
Though his babbling was inaudible through the bathroom door, Will addressed Sydney as he came out, now dressed. "I have to see her." He told her, urgency in his voice.  
  
Sydney was still confused, but now accepting of her friend's behavior. "Who?" She asked patiently, hoping she finally broke through.  
  
Will seemed almost dumbfounded that Sydney still didn't know whom he was talking about. "Jenny."  
  
She almost found it comical that the bubbly co-ed could be trying to take down a massive government organization. But then again, someone could say the same about her.  
  
"We have a car ready." Sydney turned to see that Vaughn had appeared in the doorway to make the announcement. After he spoke, Vaughn started back down the hallway towards a door with a brilliant orange "EXIT" sign above it. Sydney began to follow, but Will grabbed her arm.  
  
"I'm sorry." He told her simply.  
  
"For what?" She questioned, noticing he seemed calmer now.  
  
"Everything. For putting your operation in danger by investigating this, for all the cracks I made about the bank, for not understanding when your job made you cry. If I knew then what I know now, I would've been a much better friend."  
  
She pulled him into a hug. "Don't worry. I can't expect anyone to understand who doesn't know my story. And this will all work out for the best. I'm glad I have one less person to lie to." She brushed his hair out of his eyes and made eye contact. "And you were never a bad friend." Sydney gave him a quick peck on the cheek and broke their embrace to lead him down the long hallway and back out into the world.  
  
~~  
  
The non-descript van slowed to a stop in front of a small white house. It was a nice part of town, one where you could really feel safe raising a family. Sydney squeezed Will's hand before opening the side door for him. He fumbled with the new addition of a small pen in his shirt pocket, a CIA bug. The weird flower bug was understandable, but the fact that something as normal as a pen could be a transmitting device bothered him. How often could someone have been listening to him?  
  
"We'll be right here if you need us." Sydney reminded him.  
  
Will really hated how she said "we" so easily, as if it had been the two of them forever. However, now was not the time to be jealous. He only nodded and stepped out into the crisp night air. It was hard to believe that only last night he had stumbled from his overturned car to Sydney's home. He hadn't been outside since then.  
  
Jenny's small Volkswagon was in the driveway, so he knew she had to be home. The lights were on in the house and illuminated the small, modest garden around the front porch. Finding the door unlocked, Will entered quietly and heard the shower running in the nearby bathroom.  
  
Will took in the familiar surrounding he'd spent many nights in recently and wondered if they had this all wrong. She was so normal, so simple. He could imagine Sydney as a spy. She was so strong, mysterious, and had a job that resulted in the death of her fiancé. But Jenny? Too happy, young, and innocent.  
  
This train of thought ended abruptly when he noticed a small black box on the table by the phone. It was a voice distorter. "Will Tippin." He said into it, hearing the same voice that called him produced as the result. He swung around to face the window and held it up for his back-up to see.  
  
He laid it back on the table and moved to the desk. On the surface, papers from works were scattered around, proving Jenny was as good assistant as he thought she was. Or was this scene only a coverup? Still hearing the sound of running water, he pulled on the handle of a couple drawers, finding them all locked. "Shit." He muttered quietly as he knocked a lamp off the desk and heard it shatter.  
  
Suddenly a figure in black appeared from around the corner, a gun in hand pointed at Will. Jenny was wearing an ankle-length black silk robe and her hair was pulled away from her face into a tight bun, revealing that she now looked much older than usual, her face hardened, her eyes cold.  
  
~~  
  
end 7/?  
  
A/N: So you see now why I had to add that note at the top of the page. The sickeningly bubbly Jenny was too apparent in Page 47 and even though I already had this idea, after those scenes I couldn't imagine that character having any layers. But I went along with this anyway, deciding to ignore that all together.  
  
I know this is a tiny chapter, but to me, it makes more sense to break this up more. I really don't want to have a million chapters, but you'll see that ending here makes sense soon. In Chap 8 (which I should be writing after I post this) I'm going to do a "meanwhile, back in the van…" thing and I didn't want to put it in here.  
  
And yes, I finally did add a little shippy Syd/Will moment here, but I don't think it's out of character and I made some Syd/Vaughn comments so you S/V shippers be nice in your reviews.  
  
So just sit tight, review and you'll get an update soon. I promise.  
  
And I'm really looking for a beta reader who has kept up with my story that I can basically bounce ideas back on and who can offer suggestions about content. If you're interested email me. 


	8. The Motive

Secrets 8/?  
  
Secrets: The Motive 8/9  
  
A/N: I make a reference to 'Broken Heart,' but it's not really a spoiler. I'm just building on this little thing that happened, so if you didn't see it/don't remember it, you should still be able to understand.  
  
~~  
  
Sydney couldn't help worry about Will as he entered the house. He'd been there probably many times, seeing as they were a couple, but now it was different.  
  
Vaughn was working away at his laptop next to her, but still acknowledged her feelings. "He'll be fine."  
  
Sydney looked over and smiled at him. Even though he didn't look up from the computer screen, he grinned a bit, just knowing she was looking at him. He turned the screen so she could see. "Jennifer Tarkom. Student at UCLA, assistant to Will. No criminal record, no apparent ties to any government agency. Her record is perfectly clean. But it could be an alias." He informed her, summarizing what he had just read on the screen.  
  
Though she had never heard Jenny's last name mentioned before, it seemed familiar. She grabbed a pen and paper and wrote the last name down. Vaughn only fiddled with the recording equipment and occasionally looked into the window of the apartment to check on Will. He knew how important Sydney's friends were to her.  
  
She was oblivious to Will's actions, however. Sydney couldn't take her eyes off the six letters scrawled in the paper before her. She had always loved puzzles, needing a word-find or a crossword puzzle to keep her entertained on long trips. Aliases were often anagrams. She remembered many of them being carefully thought out and clever mix-ups. Such as the name on one of the many SD-6 issue passports reading Fiona Fusttgomits came from 'I'm going to steal stuff.'  
  
As she reflected she was unconsciously rearranging the letters. This wouldn't be the first way she would solve a mystery, but the name sounded so vaguely familiar. Then she was staring at it. Moktar. A name she hadn't heard in months. Yet suddenly she was back in Morocco, leaning over her contact's body. "He was a good man" she remembered saying. An honest, patriotic man who thought he was doing what was good for his country. Yet he was killed in cold blood in a foreign country. God knows what his family was told about his death.  
  
"Run a search for Jennifer Moktar." She told Vaughn just before hearing Will test the voice distorter and show it to them.  
  
With a few clicks of the keyboard he spoke up. "She's in here alright. Daughter of a…"  
  
Sydney finished Vaughn's sentence. "Fahar Moktar. He worked with SD-6. The botched mission in Morocco ended his life."  
  
"You mentioned that to me. So her father died because he worked for SD-6. That's enough of a motive to want to destroy them."  
  
Sydney nodded and then heard a crash over the small speaker and heard Will swear. She looked up through the window just in time to see Jenny appear with a gun. "We're going in."  
  
~~  
  
Will watched as Jenny's face softened and she let the gun drop to her side. "Oh! Will!! You scared me!" She announced, putting on the sweet demeanor she was already known for.  
  
He only rolled his eyes. "I am so tired of being treated like a fool." He said almost under his breath. Jenny raised an eyebrow questioningly before raising her gun again as Sydney and Vaughn burst through the door behind Will, guns raised.  
  
"Drop your weapon!" Vaughn shouted to her, but Jenny was more focused on Sydney.  
  
Her face was hard, but her voice was soft and honest. "I know you work for SD-6, worked with my father. But they're not who you think they are. He was working against them. And I think he was killed because of it."  
  
Sydney almost laughed. Didn't anyone stay loyal to one organization anymore? She lowered her gun and motioned for Vaughn to do the same. "I know. I'm a double agent with the CIA. This is Agent Vaughn." Jenny lowered her weapon but kept her finger on the trigger. "But how did you know about me?"  
  
"In my father's will he left me a key to a safety deposit box. He left me all his work documents, all his mission orders, all his findings. I'm only trying to avenge his death."  
  
Sydney moved farther into the small living room and slumped down on to the floral printed couch. "He wasn't killed because he was a double agent. He was killed on a mission. I was there. It wasn't what you think."  
  
Jenny didn't seem to expect this answer. "Well, I still want to finish what my dad started." She said after a pause. She was now staring at her feet, looking weaker now than before.  
  
Will could not stop staring at his assistant. He had always thought her to be innocent and happy, then this happens. Well, it had been happening. Everything seemed clearer now. She was always the one who had urged him along on this SD-6 thing, made him want to keep going on with it.  
  
"It's not that simple. This isn't a fucking game you just play. You have no idea what I go through everyday. You could never understand." Sydney told her bluntly, her voice cold, yet honest.  
  
"But…" Jenny didn't get to finish.  
  
Vaughn suddenly lunged farther into the living room and switched the only, yet bright, light off. "We've got company." He stated simply, motioning towards the front of the house.  
  
As luck would have it, bullets shattered yet another window as soon as the room plunged into darkness. Vaughn and Sydney crouched down onto the floor, with perfect spy reflexes. Jenny may have talked the talk, but she showed she couldn't handle herself in a combat situation and yelped as a bullet pierced her shoulder. Will leapt off the couch and jumped on her, hoping to get Jenny out of the way of the crossfire as Sydney and Vaughn shot back.  
  
Jenny was shaking under him as he used his body to shield her smaller, frail one. "She needs medical attention." Will said, whispering the obvious to the two professionals.  
  
Sydney reached up and grabbed the phone off the table behind her. Before dialing, she barked an order at Vaughn. "Get the hell out of here. I can take care of this mess."  
  
He hesitated slightly before moving, knowing she would be in even more trouble if he was found with Sydney by SD-6. Within seconds he had sneaked out the apparently uncovered back door.  
  
Will watched as Sydney seemed to hesitate before dialing the phone. She greeted the caller calmly and advised them to hang on as two men burst through what was left of Jenny's door. He admired how professional she could be at such tense time and gained a whole new respect for her. Suddenly something made sense.  
  
"Look, to you, my job might seem pointless and stupid but it's not. It's far from pointless and if you knew what I dealt with every day, you might even thank me for doing my job so well!"  
  
He wanted to kick himself for being so ignorant but someone else did it for him. Now brought back into reality, he watched as Sydney slugged the offender for literally kicking him when he was down. Unfortunately, his previous wound opened up and blood gushed out on his already-stained shirt.  
  
Never having a high tolerance for pain, Will felt himself slipping out of consciousness. The last thing he saw was one of the larger men pull a gun on Sydney and heard the gunshot after his eyes drooped shut.  
  
~~~~~  
  
End 8/?  
  
AN: Stay tuned kiddies, the end is near. I even know where I'm going with this for once too!! I've had the whole idea for the ending for a while, but I've been on a caribbean cruise for the past week without my precious computer (torture!). But I did get some inspiration while on vacation. And I promise, this is the last cliffhanger (but won't you miss them?). I have the ending planned in two parts, but Ii don't know if it will be a Chapter 9 and an epilogue, or just the latter. But I really like the ending I have in mind (it's not penned out yet) and I hope you will too. I started this chapter like a month ago and just finished it. I'm horrible on my promises of the next chapter, so I'll just say stay tuned!! And you get a prize if you read this whole stupid rambling of an Authors note. I didn't sleep at all last night (by choice) so I'm not too sane today. 


	9. The Story

Secrets: The Story 9/9  
  
~~  
  
Sydney had now fully decided that funerals were the worst. While working part-time at a funeral home arranging flowers in high school, she was told that the ceremony was not for the dead but for those left behind. It was a celebration of the deceased, reminding the survivors of how their lives were touched by the person they had lost.  
  
Yet it seemed wrong to her to celebrate the fact that you would never see that person again.  
  
Pulling a Kleenex out of her black purse, Sydney dabbed at her eyes for the fiftieth time. After her third funeral, she had finally bought a black bag large enough to hold a whole box of tissues. By now she presumed she had been to over ten ceremonies of this sort: her mother's, Danny's, and many for fallen SD-6 agents from before she knew the truth.  
  
She never thought she would be at this funeral.  
  
Two large framed pictures stood at the front of the small chapel, a small urn next to each one. The bronze face of a young, curly-haired cheerleader type on one side, and the older golden-haired journalist on the other. Jenny's family did not seem friendly. They looked down upon Will's eccentric family with Amy and her pink hair and shot Sydney dirty looks. Why should she have lived when their daughter was now only a pile of ashes?  
  
Always a great storyteller, both families, despite their condescending glances, were satisfied with her summary of what happened four nights ago.  
  
"Will was investigating mob activity in a club. From what he told me, Jenny was helping him write the story. Apparently, they were both treading on dangerous ground. Will had called me over to Jenny's to read the story before he submitted it to the editor. They were both so excited that they were doing their part to take down organized crime. I told them they were sure to win another award…" Sydney would successfully tear up at this point, fully convincing her silent audience. If only they knew the real reason she would never see her best friend again, why it was her fault. "Then these people came to the house. Will reacted quickly, locking Jenny and I into her bedroom. He protected us. We heard sounds of a fight, then silence. After awhile Jenny went out to check on him. They were still there. I heard her scream and I jumped out the window and ran to find help. I found a pay phone just in time to hear our attackers drive out of the front driveway. Then her house was on fire…it was so horrible. I ran back, but they must have used kerosene. It was so bright and so hot, I wanted to go back and but I couldn't."  
  
Believable enough, there were no questions. That was the official story from the only witness. Jenny's was a quiet neighborhood, and no one came forward about seeing the white van arrive earlier that night, or seeing Vaughn run away.  
  
Obviously, Will and Jenny's fabulous piece would never be printed, since their research was burned.  
  
Francie had first been incredulous of Sydney's story, knowing she wouldn't have run. She knew she was a fighter, just didn't know how well. "I was just so scared, Fran…" She only said, and more tears followed. And that was the end of that.  
  
Sydney was asked to give the eulogy, but she kindly refused. It just made the whole thing so final.  
  
She didn't know how she would be able to return to her normal life and her horrible job without Will's shoulder to cry on when times got too tough. How would she be able to work for the organization who had stripped another companion from her life?  
  
It would have to be done. There was no other way.  
  
As the ceremony ended, Sydney walked numbly to her car, hugging a few friends good-bye on her way. Out of the shadows stepped her father. She wasn't surprised.  
  
"I'm sorry for your loss." He said monotonously, coming forward and pulling her into a stiff hug.  
  
She ended it quickly and only nodded. Sydney hopped into her car and drove away.  
  
~~~~~  
  
end 9/9  
  
A/N: Not enough closure for you? There shouldn't be. It will all be explained in the epilogue. I'm evil, aint I? The good news is, the epilogue is basically done. But I won't post it until I have, say, 57 reviews. That's Rambaldi's famous number + the number of parts this will have. (The method to my madness.) Even if you just tell me this chapter sucks, I want a review. I don't really like this one (I actually wrote my epilogue before this) but it needed to be done. And I wanted a little suspense leading up to the final ending.  
  
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!! I'm sad this is almost over, though I hate having WIPs. Thank you everyone who's been reading and reviewing everytime I put up a new part. You make my day. 


	10. The Goodbye

Secrets: The Goodbye – Epilogue  
  
A/N:  
  
I couldn't wait for 57 reviews. I feel bad that I'm keeping all of you loyal readers in suspense.  
  
I can't believe the reviews I got! You really thought I would kill off dear, sweet Will!! Read and see. If the one section is confusing, go back and read the end of chapter 8 again first, I'm doing like a flashback thing. Just bear with me and enjoy.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
After the well-planned hug with her father ended, Sydney made her way to her car and pulled out into traffic. She pulled the small white slip of paper out of the pocket he placed it in and read the address. It was in the warehouse district, but not her and Vaughn's place.  
  
Minutes later she was there, and once again checked for tails. Fighting the urge to run and burst inside as quickly as possible, Sydney walked briskly inside. Seeing exactly whom she wanted to, she walked right to him and pulled him into a hug.  
  
~~~  
  
Sydney realized she was paying more attention to Will than to the fight. She should have overpowered her attacker already. She watched as Will slumped over, and knew if she didn't get him and Jenny to a hospital soon, then she might be attending another funeral.  
  
The sound of a gun being cocked brought her attention back to the more immediate danger. The weapon was jabbed into her forehead and a million thoughts rushed through her head as the best way to get out of this situation. Sydney closed her eyes and prepared to attack, but the deafening roar of a gunshot rang out first. She heard her assailant crumple to the ground and her eyes shot open, highly confused. Sydney spun around to see Vaughn behind her.  
  
"Nice shot. Thanks." was all she could manage to say, before hearing the sound of another car pull up outside. She groaned and grabbed the attacker's gun from his lifeless hand.  
  
"No. It's okay. It's a CIA ambulance." Vaughn informed her and she dropped the weapon to help Will and Jenny.  
  
The next thing Sydney knew, they were being whisked out the door on stretchers and into a non-descript black van, instead of a normal ambulance. Because of the small size, there was no room for her.  
  
Left alone in Jenny's now-trashed apartment, Sydney wondered what the next step would be. A minute later, Vaughn came back with a can of kerosene. Before Sydney could even question why he began pouring the contents around the house, his nose wrinkling at the smell, he efficiently told her "Will and Jenny, as far as anyone knows, are dead. You were attacked, and there was a fire. You escaped. They did not. That is the official story, straight from the CIA. You can elaborate on that as you please." It made Sydney wonder if he had done this before, destroy someone's life, and how many had mourned for someone who wasn't dead.  
  
She didn't even realize that he had finished and had lead her out the front door until he tossed a lit match behind them, igniting the once quaint house.  
  
"There's a payphone down the street. Call 911."  
  
Sydney started to walk away, suddenly feeling cold despite the blazing fire behind her, but Vaughn grabbed her arm lightly to get her attention. "I'm sorry." He only said before walking away.  
  
In reality, this was an easy mission. No one was killed and nothing was really lost, but this seemed like the hardest thing she'd even done. Because friends were involved.  
  
On the short walk to the payphone, tears streaming down her face, Sydney dreamed up the story everyone would take as the truth.  
  
  
  
~~~  
  
"Don't ever make me do that again!" Sydney scolded after a long time of just holding Will in her arms. "The only way I could get though that funeral without telling all the people who loved you that you weren't really dead was remembering that Will Tippin is really dead. I could look so sad only because I thought of how I may never see you again…."  
  
Will pushed a finger to her lips to stop her. "Don't say that. As soon as you take SD-6 down, I can come back. I don't know what I'll tell my family…but we'll work it out."  
  
Sydney only shook her head. "But I could never take them down…"  
  
"You will. I've been talking to Agent Vaughn. He's told me how great you are at your down. You're a great spy. You even fooled your family and friends for seven years!"  
  
Sydney realized she needed to be hopeful too. "Yes. It shouldn't be that long." She said, not totally believing the words spilling out of her mouth.  
  
Vaughn came into her view by stepping out of the shadows. "I'm sorry, but it's time to go." He told Will, embarrassed to be breaking up the moment, his forehead wrinkling in concern.  
  
As she stepped back a little, Sydney finally really looked at Will for the first time since she had come in. Someone at the CIA had obviously spent some time on Will's appearance before he was deemed ready for his new life. His blond hair was cut shorter and dyed a medium brown. It even looked as if he had spent hours in a tanning bed since she last saw him. Yet even hidden behind a new pair of glasses, Sydney could still notice his most desirable feature, the sparkling blue eyes.  
  
"You contact me in…" Will started, but Sydney stopped him.  
  
"I can't know where you are if you're in the Witness Protection Program. But I'll find out from the CIA the very day SD-6 burns to the ground and get you on the first flight home."  
  
Vaughn once again checked his watch and announced, "Your plane leaves in an hour, we really have to get going."  
  
Sydney pulled Will into one last hug and whispered "I love you" into his ear.  
  
After returning the three words, Will told her "When I get back, no more secrets, OK?"  
  
"No more secrets."  
  
~~~~~  
  
END  
  
~~~~~  
  
A/N: I really hope all of you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. What I think is really great is how real this actually turned out to in comparison with the show. I started this in January, after The Box 1, and had no spoilers about Will's kidnapping or anything from there. I even love how Alias's latest cliffhanger was pretty similar to one of mine (with again, no spoilers).  
  
Anyway, if you enjoyed this, please tell me!!  
  
~Ash (AshletX512@aol.com) 


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